PARSOL (and NARSOL) board member David Garlock recently spoke about the punitive nature of the sex offender registry, including Pennsylvania Megan’s Law List, as an invited panelist on the “Business of Being Black” show hosted by Tammi Mac on the new FOX SOUL network.
Garlock joined Business of Being Black host Tammi Mac along with Gail Wyatt, Ph.D. a Psychologist and Professor at UCLA, Larry Walker, Ed.D. Asst. Professor of Education at the University of Central Florida, and Ray Brackens, an advocate with Pure Justice.
During the hour-long program, David spoke about recidivism rates, rational reforms including education, and providing healing opportunities for persons forced to register and victims of abuse.
Key Points
Here are key points (with time-embedded links) from the show:
- Why should black people care about sex offender registries? 4:02
- Recidivism Rates of Persons Forced to Registry 7:12
- Actual Recidivism Rates vs. Perceived Rates 9:30
- Person First Language 16:15
- Shifting Resources from Registry to Resources 16:50
- 75% of Persons Forced to Register don’t have Child Offenses 26:30
- Lack of Healing Opportunities in our Society 28:44
- The importance of not writing off registrants as monsters 36:52
- Minors on the Sex Offender Registry 46:00
- About NARSOL 49:44
About David Garlock
Aside from his work with PARSOL and NARSOL, David is a successful returning citizen, reentry professional, and criminal justice reform advocate. David and his brother received 25-year sentences in Alabama after taking the life of their abuser. A client of Equal Justice Initiative, he was released on parole in 2013 after serving more than 13 years and pursuing several educational opportunities while incarcerated. He subsequently obtained his bachelor’s degree from Eastern University and was the Lancaster Program Director for New Person Ministries, a reentry program for men who have committed sex offenses and other returning citizens.
About The Business of Being Black and FOX SOUL
The Business of Being Black with host Tammi Mac is a late-night talk show on FOX SOUL, a new live and interactive streaming channel dedicated to the African American viewer. The programs aim to celebrate black culture and deal with real topics that impact the everyday lives of the black community through frank and insightful dialogue with local and national influencers.